Tag Archives: ukraine

An obituary

Posted on March 17, 2015 by

Yes, I read the news today. Vladimir Putin is alive and seemingly well. His handshake is firm, judging from the expression on the face of the president of Kyrgyzstan, and he may even have driven the car between two places … Continue reading →

Posted in Kremlinology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A tale of two choices

Posted on January 29, 2015 by

Oil prices tumble, the Russian economy is in recession, the Russian elite is nervous, but Vladimir Putin is smart enough to avoid the traps that the Soviet Union fell into – in a nutshell, this is the argument of Richard … Continue reading →

Posted in Kremlinology, Policies | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Europe’s Game – Part 1

Posted on November 20, 2014 by

Pro-Russian rebels held illegal elections in the Donbass on 2 November, which Russia first recognised then only “respected”. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities and NATO reported a serious Russian military build-up in Eastern Ukraine. Vladimir Putin was told off at the G20 … Continue reading →

Posted in Policies, Society | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When the wells run dry

Posted on October 25, 2014 by

Those critical of Western sanctions against Russia usually point at the fact that these measures have so far failed to do their job. They failed to bring meaningful changes in Russia’s foreign and domestic policies and failed to stop the … Continue reading →

Posted in Policies, Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The cost of peace

Posted on September 18, 2014 by

The war in Ukraine is, arguably, a very costly business for Russia’s leaders. No wonder that the political and business elite seem to be increasingly divided on the issue. However, the situation created by the conflict has benefited Russia’s ruling … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Kremlinology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Putin’s Milosevic moment

Posted on August 21, 2014 by

As the world is gearing up for the upcoming talks between Vladimir Putin, Petro Poroshenko and Western officials in Minsk next week, all sides seem to pretend that time works for them and stakes are higher on the other side. … Continue reading →

Posted in Policies, Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why sanctions may as well work

Posted on July 25, 2014 by

Two days ago, Clifford Gaddy and Barry Ickes, two renowned experts on Russia’s economy published a short analysis on the possible effect of European and American sanctions on Russia. The outlook was grim, they concluded: not only were sanctions unlikely … Continue reading →

Posted in Policies, Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment